For nearly one year TheArnoldFans have told you of the strong possibility that we might host the first ever OFFICIAL Arnold Schwarzenegger fan club. At last I was invited back to Arnold's Santa Monica office, Oak Productions to meet with Arnold's business manager and to discuss our proposal.

On my way into the office, I saw the all new T3 teaser poster proudly hanging on the walls.


We've told you all for months and months that this official fan club MAY happen and we thank you all for the daily emails of your fan club support and inquires. It would be wrong to keep you in any more suspense so I will share with you now what I have just learned yesterday, Monday, May 5th.

Unfortunately there will be NO official Arnold fan club and I believe fans will NEVER see an official one. We all talked for over an hour on how we could possibly get one off the ground but in the end, for reasons we understood, it was terminated.

Arnold's business manager and was very complementary towards TAFs and our buddy at Schwarzenegger.com, who also contributed to the meeting, did his best to help our cause. Alas, no fan club because - in a way, they feel TheArnoldFans already IS the fan club... without it being official.

Okay, now here’s the good news! Trust us, although the official club did not work out, Arnold’s business manager is still a fantastic guy and wanted TAFs to not walk away empty-handed. He told me TAFs can expect more merchandise prizes and auctions for the fans soon - all compliments of Oak Productions. So in the end, the fans win after all and I still left with a smile!

On my way out, Arnold’s manager wanted to show me something in another room and he wanted to hear my reaction to something containing an error. I had no idea what this was but I followed him. He escorted me past a large room with many props and luxurious Arnold artifacts. Here, I found myself face-to-face with the T3 screen-used American Flag from the John Connor future war. It was mounted on the wall, behind glass and the flag was tattered and riddled with burnt holes (a perfect futuristic touch).


In the next room, a small kitchen area, I discovered the error. First let me share with you some awesome news! There will be an all new life-sized Arnold cardboard standees coming out! The funny thing was that the standee in front of us was not life-sized but rather more like Danny Devito sized so this prototype before me was a one of a kind mistake. Bigger and better ones are being produced now!

In the kitchen area, Arnold’s manager and I sipped our coffee (cream and no sugar) and began to shoot the breeze about T3. After seeing this T3 standee I asked about other merchandise. He mentioned many things we have already reported on but one new item to hear of is a licensed stogie lighter. Japan will produce a T3 slot machine but this will have no Arnold likeness but rather just the logos and probably the TX and T-850 endoskeletons.

I also asked about a T3 convention. In 1991, T2 had a big convention for the fans but this time there will not be one. He said he had talked it over but they finally decided they will probably combine it with big comic conventions like July’s San Diego Comic Con this year.

We also talked movies. Although we surprised over X-men 2’s weekend performance, I told him I saw it too but bashed the film for being a real snooze! We also talked about how the inside word behind “The HULK” is supposed to be awful and both movies will probably suffer big on the second week of release.

We then discussed everything we have heard behind T3 and it is testing great (see my exclusive Arnold interview in Beckett’s official T3 magazine)! Arnold’s manager told me someone in the film industry has concluded T3 and The Matrix will be the two big winners. The Matrix will presumably do better domestic but T3 is expected to do better internationally. WB will be on top!

Finally, I have confirmation that the all new T3 trailer attached to the Matrix this month is supposed to be bad-ass and even better than the international one! He tells me they were saving all of the best clips for this Matrix-released trailer and people will be blown away! Rated R? Well, that’s the inside word too!

On my way out, I stopped off at Schatzi on Main, the big Arnold-themed 5-star restaurant. Here, I pose like a dork with my first batch of goods: T3 shirts (given to the staff of TAFs for our hard work and dedication to Arnold).


On my way back to my car, in a parking lot below Arnold’s office, I snapped a photo of an all-to-familiar looking transport!


On one final note concerning the fan club termination. Because the fan club will no longer be happening, we can unleash all of our collected big stories and celebrity interviews we have saved for the proposed official magazine! Now, these are coming to you over the next couple of weeks - all free of charge and complements of TheArnoldfans.com. Any fan of Arnold’s is a friend of ours! Even though no Arnold fan site will ever have the word “official” in front of it... we know all of you fans feel we already are. For this we salute you and we will always be there for you.

What’s my point to this story? T3 will rule and the fans will get big merchandise prizes and auctions! 2003 will be the year for TheArnoldFans.com and for you, the fans! Stick around!

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Randy Jennings